You waste a lot of energy hoisting a heavy pack after every trailside rest break. Instead, try the “sherpa rest,” used by generations of Himalayan and Andean porters. When your shoulders are ready for a break, look for a log or flat-top boulder slightly higher than your waist.

Back up to the rest ledge, and set the bottom of your pack atop it. Then loosen your hipbelt and lean back for a quick standing rest. For a longer seated rest, seek out flat-top boulders about thigh high, or lean back against slanting slopes on the uphill side of the trail. To resume, just tighten your hipbelt and go.